Spring wagon-tongue.



E. L HASTINGS.

SPRING WAGON TONGUE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.4

THE NORRIS PETERS C0.. PHOTO'LITHQ.. WASHlNcIoN. D. C.

nutren estaras rarnnr onirica.

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SPRING WAGON-fronsen.

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Application led September'Q, 1914.

to be built into a wagon when the latter is manufactured, or, to be quickly and easily substituted for any of the ordinary wagon tongues found on wagons and other vehicles.

The spring wagon tongue constitutingthe present invention is so constructed that the team pulls directly against a spring arranged in an improved manner and the tongue is mounted and guided, and combined with a cross bolt and cross piece in such a novel manner that the pull exerted on the spring is direct and is evenly distributed, through the spring on said cross piece, while the cross bolt constitutes a combined guide and tongue support andV also is adapted to serve as an emergency connection, to prevent the tongue from pulling out, if the spring breaks.

The invention is set forth fully hereinafter and the novel features and combinations are recited in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a plan view of my invention alone; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the invention attached to the hounds; Fig. 3, a similar view of the ordinary hounds, the usual tongue being removed; Fig. 4:, a detail longitudinal section through my invention; Fig. 5, section on line 5 5, Fig. 1; and Fig. 6, a detail perspective of the rear end of the tongue.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, the usual hounds are shown at 1, the reach at 2 and the aXle at 3.

My invention is self-contained and is adapted to be attached to the front ends of the hounds, either when the wagon is being made, or, substituted for the tongue usually found on wagon draft riggings.

In Fig. 3 I have shown an ordinary draft rigging from which the tongue has beenremoved to permit the attachment of my 11nproved sel -contained spring tongue, as will presently appear.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 19715. Serial No. 860,870.

My invention is shown alone in Figs; 1, 4.-, 5, 6. I provide a back or cross-piece 4, to therear of which issuitably secured a wear plate having' flanges or ears (i to serve as a guide and wear plate for the spring. Suitably connected to the cross piece 4L are forwardly extending guides 7 which have metal wear plates 8 on their inner faces. Braces 9 secure the guides to the cross-piece -l in any suitable fashion. Extending through the braces 9 and the guides 7 is a rod l0; which connects and strengthens them.

This rod also kserves as a connector for the attachment of the entire self-contained'` spring tongue to the forward ends of the hounds 1. I am enabled', therefore, to use this rod, which is in the form of a long bolt having a head at one end and a nut at the other end, to attach the device to a wagon when the same is built, or, to use it, or the usual bolt 11 (Fig. 3), for fastening the spring tongue to the hounds of a wagon from which the old style rigid tongue has been removed. By simply removing the bolt 11 and using it, or, bolt 10, the old style tongue can be taken off any ordinary draft rigging and my complete spring tongue substituted therefor.

The tongue 12 is mounted to slide between the wear plates of guides 7 and has a slotted rear end 13 through which the bolt or rod 10 loosely passes to permit the necessary play of the tongue. The tongue has a metal loop 14 at its rear end which is adapted to engage the rod 10 if the spring breaks, thus forming an emergency connection until a new spring can be substituted. Plates 15 connect the guides 7 above and below the tongue and guide and support the tongue in its movements.

A metal strap or loop 16 connected to the top and bottom of the tongue, serves at its front as a connector or clevis for the doubletree 17 and at its rear it is fastened to the spring 18. The spring 18 is of the bowed leaf or wagon type, its center being connected, in any suitable manner, to the looped part of 1G and its ends bearing on the wear plate 5 between the flanges 6, whereby the spring is prevented from vertical displacement and its movements are prevented from injuring the cross piece 4.

With my invention, the team is always pulling against the spring 18, which neutralizes shock when an obstacle is struck by the wagon wheels and the wagon is started easier than would be the case with a rigidly connected tongue.

Instead of the springlS I may use a full elliptic or double-bow spring and other changes and modifications may be resorted to in carrying out the invention, within the spirit and scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Iletters Patent is:

l. In a self-contained spring tongue for ifehicles, the combination with a frame comprising a back cross-piece, forwardly, eX- tending parallel guides connected thereto, and forwardly converging braces connecting the guides to the cross-piece, of a tongue slidable between the said guides, and a leafspring carried by the rear end of said tongue and bearing against the rear of said cross-piece.

2. The combination with the hounds of a draft rigging, of a self-contained spring tongue detachably connected thereto com- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the prising a cross-piece having on its rear face a wear plate provided with flanges, parallel guides extending forwardly from and connected to the cross-piece, forwardly converging braces connected to the cross-piece and to the guides and lying between the hounds, upper and lower cross members connected to and bridging the guides, a tongue slidable between the guides and cross members, said tongue having a slot at its rear end, an end loop connected to the slotted rear end of the tongue, a rod connecting the guides, braces and hounds and extending through the slot, and a leaf-spring connected at its central part to the rear end of the tongue and bearingon the wear plate between the flanges thereof.

In `testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER L. HASTINGS.

IVitnesses J. A. LEMERY, I-I. O. BUTTERFIELD.

Commissioner of Eatents.

Washington, D. C. 

